We are going to Gatlinburg Oct 25, 26 and 27 and were told this is "peak colors" for the smokies, can anyone confirm???????

Yes that is peak time and it is beautiful! I live in North Carolina and it starts in about 2 weeks, peaks around the 3rd week and then the leaves fall to the ground around the beg. of November. This weekend in the mountains was warm and humid and the leaves have just started to change, but by Oct 25th it will be cool and crisp with color everywhere. Enjoy!

I don't live there and have only been there once, but I did go for the leaf peeping about the second week of October, 10th-14th, something like that. It was perfect right at that time. I'm thinking you might be too late on the 25th.

I hope you're not too late, though. I really enjoyed the trip. I have some great pictures from driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Sandi

That period of time will be perfect in the lowlands around Knoxville for fall color but in the high mountains the color will likely be gone, I suggest around the 15 of the month for peak viewing.

The motels and hotels in the smokies are quiet this fall, for some reason.

Last year I was there around the 26th and the color was late. I later found out that the 31st is when they changed. I'm going to be there this year on the 23 through the 26th and I'll be in upstate NY the 21 through the 23rd, so I"m hoping I don't miss color in both places.

We were there last year from the 25th-30th, and the colors were just hitting peak in the mountains. I was just there (NC) last week and the paper said colors won't be as vibrant this year due to so much rain, but I'm sure they will still be beautiful regardless.

They say that the colors will be later and longer this year because of all the rain we have had this year. You should be right on.

We went last year Oct 18 for a week and saw little to NO color change. I was so disappointed! It was late last year and peaked end of Oct, first of Nov. Back in 1997 we went Nov 4-7 and the color was beautiful, must have been late then too. This year we are going Oct 25 for a week. I think we may hit at a good time.
Kimberley

Kimberley, maybe we'll run into each other since we'll both coincide there on the same dates. Have fun and please report back if you can when you get back, as I will also try to do.

The peak of foliage changes from year to year. The only way to know if October 26 will be at peak where you are going is to go there.

For weekly foliage updates for every part of the country, link to:

http://www.weather.com/maps/activity...dex_large.html

I was reading in an area newspaper that fall colors will peak Oct 18 thru Oct 25 in the Smokies at the 3500 foot elevations (roughly that of the Chimney Tops Trailhead). If you go to Newfound Gap or Clingman's Dome, you'll find that they are past peak.

We were there October 8-11 (last week) and the colors were at peak around the elevation of Newfound Gap..and got less intense as we went down the mountain